The texts for this week speak about community. We are communal people. This idea seems to be unpopular today. We rather think of individuals, mostly of ourselves. Choices we make, as long as they only affect us, are the right choices. Most messages from our society speak about taking care of number 1 (meaning me!). American individualism is one of the marks of what makes us who we are as a people. If all of this is true, then what do we do with these passages. How do we interpret them, struggle with them, have them speak to us?
The book of Esther contains one of the great stories in the bible. Esther was a young jewish girl who ends up as Queen of the Persian empire. The jews are in diaspora (dispersed) and many are living in the persian empire. They have become part of persian society and many of them held important positions. Esther was an orphan who was cared for by her cousin Mordecai. The king of Persia Ahasuerus (Emperor Xerxes) marries Esther not knowing that she is a jewish peasant. After Mordecai finds out about Haman's plan to kill the jews (Haman was the King's right hand man) Mordecai asks Esther to speak on behalf of her people. In our text for today we have the conversation between Esther and the King, Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22.
James 5:13-20 calls for the community to pray and care for one another. One of the stricking parts of the passage is the call to healing that is both physical/emotional and spiritual. The elders of the church are called and bring a "healing touch" through annointing with oil. Once healing takes place in ourselves we are able to provide communal healing through forgiveness and reconciliation. Here is the perfect example of how we as individuals live out communally.
The gospel is a difficult one. Mark 9:38-50 is a perfect example of why scripture is always interpreted through community. Has your hand, foot, eye caused you to sin? I am sure it has. Have you cut it off? I sure hope not. The message here is about stumbling blocks. We place them all around us. We are the main stumbling blocks to our life and the lives of others. Especially when someone is not like us or with us we automatically see them as the enemy. Jesus is calling all of us to something different. He is calling us to holy hospitality. In holy hospitality we accept the other by removing all that comes in the way. Even if it means removing ourselves. In removing ourselves we allow room for God to work through us and only then can we be "salt of the earth," the spice that flavors and preserves.
Communal living is difficult. God calls us to it "for such a time as this." In a world full of individualism we should carry the banner of the gift of communal life. We, like Esther, go to the king and sound out the alarm. God's providence allows us to make a difference in the world. Are we going to take the challenge?
Peace, Juan
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
True Greatness
The texts this week are complex. All are connected in some ways yet each of them have important gems that we need to take seriously. Our focus text Mark 9:30-37 will ground our reflections for this week.
Jesus had been teaching and healing. Now on a journey they still "do not get" Jesus' point. They did not want to hear about his death and suffering. This was not the picture of "Messiah" that they preferred. They wanted a Messiah that was powerful and would conquer the Romans once and for all. Instead sacrifice was being lifted up, taking up the cross was the sign of true discipleship. They did not hear any of it. They were still in fantasy land as they walked with Jesus. Aware of their argument on the road he tried once again to make a point. If you want to be the greater you have to be one of these, a child.
In Proverbs 31:10-31 the writer is lifting up the qualities of a faithful wife. This passage has been used at times to maintain unhelpful patterns of family life. Husbands love to quote it, if they know it, to point out the inadequacies of their spouse. All beware for this passage although speaking specifically about a "capable woman" contains important truths about faithful relationships.
James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a continues on the theme of wisdom and how it centers us in a life of faith. When we are off centered it is obvious our life are full of ourselves and there is no room for another. In contrast when our lives are centered on God's wisdom we are able to live in harmony with God and one another. In the end we have to "submit ourselves" to God.
Greatness in God's eyes is about humility, vulnerability, and self-giving. If we are like children we depend on another, trusting that all will be provided and confident that we will be taken care off. The call of wisdom is one that gives us confidence. In Christ we are able to live in ways otherwise impossible. Because of our continued transformation we can reach out. We can, like the virtuous wife, reach out to the needy, clothe ourselves in strength and dignity and share wisdom and kindness. These are the marks of true greatness but they take submission.
This week we all have to face our reality. Are we willing to let go? Can we submit to God's grace? Can we live in community and share our personal relationship with God with one another?
We'll see you on Sunday. We will meet in the Fellowship Hall with two or three other Sunday School classes to discuss the Social Principles of The United Methodist Church. Living these out are some of the ways that we work out a life of community with the church and with the world.
Peace, Juan
Jesus had been teaching and healing. Now on a journey they still "do not get" Jesus' point. They did not want to hear about his death and suffering. This was not the picture of "Messiah" that they preferred. They wanted a Messiah that was powerful and would conquer the Romans once and for all. Instead sacrifice was being lifted up, taking up the cross was the sign of true discipleship. They did not hear any of it. They were still in fantasy land as they walked with Jesus. Aware of their argument on the road he tried once again to make a point. If you want to be the greater you have to be one of these, a child.
In Proverbs 31:10-31 the writer is lifting up the qualities of a faithful wife. This passage has been used at times to maintain unhelpful patterns of family life. Husbands love to quote it, if they know it, to point out the inadequacies of their spouse. All beware for this passage although speaking specifically about a "capable woman" contains important truths about faithful relationships.
James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a continues on the theme of wisdom and how it centers us in a life of faith. When we are off centered it is obvious our life are full of ourselves and there is no room for another. In contrast when our lives are centered on God's wisdom we are able to live in harmony with God and one another. In the end we have to "submit ourselves" to God.
Greatness in God's eyes is about humility, vulnerability, and self-giving. If we are like children we depend on another, trusting that all will be provided and confident that we will be taken care off. The call of wisdom is one that gives us confidence. In Christ we are able to live in ways otherwise impossible. Because of our continued transformation we can reach out. We can, like the virtuous wife, reach out to the needy, clothe ourselves in strength and dignity and share wisdom and kindness. These are the marks of true greatness but they take submission.
This week we all have to face our reality. Are we willing to let go? Can we submit to God's grace? Can we live in community and share our personal relationship with God with one another?
We'll see you on Sunday. We will meet in the Fellowship Hall with two or three other Sunday School classes to discuss the Social Principles of The United Methodist Church. Living these out are some of the ways that we work out a life of community with the church and with the world.
Peace, Juan
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Wisdom & Jesus' Identity
This week's texts force us to look at Jesus and ourselves in a different light. In Mark 8:27-38, Jesus asks his disciples as to his identity. In Proverbs 1:20-33, lady Wisdom speaks words of warning as a parent would to a child. James 3:1-12 warns us against a "loose tongue" for it destroys community.
All of these texts have one thing in common. They speak to us about the nature of our own identity as Christians. Many times we understand our faith in terms of what we know, in terms of our "wisdom." The texts for this week remind us not to rely on our wisdom but to tap into God's wisdom.
The identity of Jesus is one of a suffering servant, not a military conqueror. When Peter denies this description and rebukes Jesus, Peter shows his reliance on his own understanding and wisdom and not on God's. Jesus in turn rebukes Peter and clarifies where our understanding needs to come from.
In our own time we misunderstand Jesus' identity. We sometimes believe that our faith is about knowing Jesus or knowing about him. Jesus came in order to show us the Father, to give us an example of what it meant to be agents of God's kingdom on earth and to empower us to live a life led by God's Spirit. This understanding has serious implications. Our lives cannot be lived in the same way in we take Jesus seriously. Here the wisdom of God cries out to us and tells us how we are to live. Living the Christian life means that we do not see anything in the same way. It means that we have a new set of eyes to see the world.
The Christian understanding of the world is communal. The whole created order is connected. Our faith is not individual and yet it is personal. We have an encounter with Jesus where he asks us, who do you say that I am? If we say that he is the Messiah, we are saying that we are no longer alone we are part of God's gracious community. What we believe is believed in community. How we act affects the community. Our faith cannot be lived outside of community. Wisdom cries out, trying to get our attention. It's not about you! God is the center of our life.
Here we have a difficult challenge. We will struggle with it in class, in sermon, and at the table. I look forward to seeing all of you Sunday.
Peace, Juan
All of these texts have one thing in common. They speak to us about the nature of our own identity as Christians. Many times we understand our faith in terms of what we know, in terms of our "wisdom." The texts for this week remind us not to rely on our wisdom but to tap into God's wisdom.
The identity of Jesus is one of a suffering servant, not a military conqueror. When Peter denies this description and rebukes Jesus, Peter shows his reliance on his own understanding and wisdom and not on God's. Jesus in turn rebukes Peter and clarifies where our understanding needs to come from.
In our own time we misunderstand Jesus' identity. We sometimes believe that our faith is about knowing Jesus or knowing about him. Jesus came in order to show us the Father, to give us an example of what it meant to be agents of God's kingdom on earth and to empower us to live a life led by God's Spirit. This understanding has serious implications. Our lives cannot be lived in the same way in we take Jesus seriously. Here the wisdom of God cries out to us and tells us how we are to live. Living the Christian life means that we do not see anything in the same way. It means that we have a new set of eyes to see the world.
The Christian understanding of the world is communal. The whole created order is connected. Our faith is not individual and yet it is personal. We have an encounter with Jesus where he asks us, who do you say that I am? If we say that he is the Messiah, we are saying that we are no longer alone we are part of God's gracious community. What we believe is believed in community. How we act affects the community. Our faith cannot be lived outside of community. Wisdom cries out, trying to get our attention. It's not about you! God is the center of our life.
Here we have a difficult challenge. We will struggle with it in class, in sermon, and at the table. I look forward to seeing all of you Sunday.
Peace, Juan
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Welcome
This is the new blog for our Sunday School class. Each week I will post reflections on the texts that we will be studying as well as questions for us to consider. Feel free to use this space to post questions, comments, ideas and suggestions. This will also be the place that we will use to announce our times of fellowship.
I am excited about this new beginning and pray for all of you daily.
Peace, Juan
I am excited about this new beginning and pray for all of you daily.
Peace, Juan
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